


kept from our children, lovers, friends;

by necrocrunk



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, M/M, it's hard to write out justin's habits when speaking, taako makes some foods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-07
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-08-20 02:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8232182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/necrocrunk/pseuds/necrocrunk
Summary: a set of drabbles including taako gets hurt, the effects of the chalice, and some kind of flirty taakravitz.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not particularly a fan of the drabble about taako getting hurt, but the idea was in my head and i NEEDED to get it out. i will come back and touch it up another day.  
> do ovens exist in this universe??? do they?? lets be real. they probably do. moon base with ovens, okay. i'm doing my best out here.  
> moon base kitchen appliances exist dont fucking lie to me
> 
> please feel free to leave comments (please i dont write a lot and i really appreciate the feedback) or point out any mistakes i made- this is unbeta'd and done in one sitting.

Magnus placed his war-axe on his back again and stood straight, catching his breath as he examined the scene in front of him. Goblins lay bloody and dead across the cave floor, soaking it with thick pools of red. They fought hard enough, but Magnus was no amateur and he knew how to defend himself. He made sure none of them remained alive before he turned now to the rest of his party with a triumphant smile. "How we doing?" He inquired, eyes drawn to Merle where he stood close to him. The small dwarf nodded and returned the smile, his warhammer being put away as he responded with a short, "Not so arrogant now, are they?"

They exchanged a few quips before Magnus paused, and noticed the last of their party, their third compatriot, was absent. Blinking, he turned to eye the wizard laid out in the floor behind him, a couple dead goblins surrounding him despite his prone form. Taako decided to speak up now, the man giving a wet cough and slurring in his usual, pitched voice, "Taako's not doing so well, guys."  
Magnus was down beside him before Merle could even get to the elf, turning Taako over and getting a dazed glance, blood dripping from his mouth and splattered across his lips as he coughed again. The stomach of his robe was soaked, and was getting darker as time passed, something that was making Magnus' heart jump into his throat, fear gripping him tight.

Magnus scooped Taako up to lean against his leg while he pulled some of the fabric away, revealing a nasty wound splitting his stomach open and streaking crimson across his torso. Merle was shuffling through his pack while the wizard focused on his breathing, eyes unfocused and fingers clenching. The sight made Magnus worry they might not have noticed in time. He didn't want to be responsible for someone he cared abouts' death- not again.  
Merle had a potion in his hand in a quick moment, something that felt like hours for Taako, and he pressed it against his lips and tipped it up. The elf didn't hesitate to swallow, despite how his body ached with even such a simple movement, and waited for some of the bleeding to stop and the pain to numb, although the wound only stopped gushing blood so slightly. 

  
Magnus brushed some hair out of Taako's face while he laid against his legs, looking pale and weak in his hands. "Keep talking to me, Taako- I'm not gonna let you die here." Merle's voice almost startled Magnus, and he watched as the cleric cast a spell and healed him, wounds stitching back together and drawing a pained noise from the previously wounded elf. Though his skin stayed clammy, his breathing eased, and he relaxed against the friend that held him up, muttering softly to himself like Merle had requested. 

"Alright, boys-" Taako managed, swallowing thickly after a few long seconds of relaxing and letting the healing spell repair his body, "We need to get a move-on, yea?" He gave a smile, wiping the blood off his lips and managing to stand on his own.  
Merle and Magnus exchanged a nervous- but relieved- look, and let Taako retrieve his wand and gain his bearings.

 

* * *

The chalice, like any relic, had an unimaginable amount of power. But none of the grand relics so far had such an effect on any of them as this one did.  
Merle was forlorn about much of his past, but he'd stuck his landing when he got a hold of himself and didn't spend much time mulling over it- he'd escaped a marriage that left him feeling dissatisfied and met his friends along the way. The mention of his arm, while tempting, wasn't enough either way, though. He regret losing it, and it would certainly be easier for anyone to not be missing limbs, he held his ground with ease.

Taako wasn't as confident as their dwarf had been, though. His past was rougher than he'd like to remember it to be, and working hard from such a young age, just to prove he  _could_ do something worth anyone's time took a toll on him. Years of cooking experience and drifting all to lead up to his pinnacle- a cooking show with quite an audience. Everything good must come to an end, though, and interest in his cooking dwindled. Taking up magic had seemed to knock out two birds with one stone. A basic knowledge in defending himself and a chance to spark his ratings back up.  
His assistant had other ideas. Taako had put years into perfecting his cooking, and sharing his hard work wasn't in his plan- assistant or no, even if he had trained him, he could have managed this on his own. He hadn't expected any reaction past dejection from Sazed, especially not a successful attempt to sabotage any semblance of a talent he had.  
He'd thought about what would have happened if he had tasted his food before he'd passed it out- would it have spared his audience?   
But now he sat with the option of fixing a mistake he'd lived for 6 years thinking he made. 

Magnus was by far the worst. It'd been a long, long time. He'd built his walls and coped the best he could with what he'd done. He worked hard- saved his town, became a hero, made a name for himself. Learned some of the best carpentry anyone around had seen, and not to mention wanted. He'd never attracted such business till he'd taken down the Mad Governor Callen. The opportunity to prove his prowess in carpentry was a tempting one- one Magnus couldn't pass up. He didn't like leaving his friends and family- especially Julia- for longer than he had to.   
Magnus couldn't pass it up though. He packed his work up and prepared with help from his wife, the love of his life, and wished her goodbye.  
He plays it in his mind a few times as he watches it unfold. " _I love you, Jules_ "  
His stomach hurts at the image. He'd never uttered another word to her.

The chalice sits in front of them, and no one moves for a while. A cup gleaming, with no thrall or tests. Just proposals. Just personal mistakes.   
Just a chance to fix it.

* * *

 

Kravitz is an interesting figure. Taako isn't sure if any of his friends had seen them hanging out beforehand. He got them out of any trouble with bounties for their death and spent an almost abnormal amount of time getting buzzed and making pottery. Not exactly the day Kravitz had expected, but no one else had made him an offer even reminiscent of this. Odd or not, Taako was a comfortable character. Relaxed; he didn't seem to dwell like others might on the things he'd experienced- instead he was an almost enjoyable experience. Kravitz didn't mind staying the rest of the time Taako had wanted him to. Didn't pull away when his hand slipped over his own and lead him through shaping the wet clay in front of him.

The next time was purely pleasure, now, rather than an undertone of business. Who was he to be making something akin to dates- especially with a mortal? Short, he'd reminded Taako- he had bounties to take care of.   
He'd phased into the room finding it empty, even his friends missing from the few bunks stacked against both walls. A quick examination before he moved to the next room, a nicely sized area he'd equate to something of a living room. Taako stood in front of a kitchenette, nose in a cookbook and dressed in a comfortable outfit provided by the bureau. He watched him for a minute or two, the elf flicking his finger around as he moved certain items around the counter and held the handle of a pan with his free hand.

Something else was already baking; Kravitz could smell the sweet aroma of something he could only assume was a pie of some sort. Taako was too enamored with the food in front of him to even notice him, till he cleared his throat, making Taako duck his head and turn to Kravitz. The elf offered him a lazy grin. "Hey! Long time no see! I'm a  _little_ busy right now, but the couch is free."  
Taako offered him idle chatter while he fried the chicken sitting in his pan, mentioning cooking advice and experience and odd facts, not expecting an answer from Kravitz. Eventually, he ran out of things to say, but the sound of food sizzling filled the silence. Kravitz spoke now, though, swallowing before he did. 

"You're cooking."   
Taako didn't pause, but Kravitz heard him smirk, sliding the food out of the pan and putting out the fire that was heating it. He prepared a couple plates while he mulled on the statement. "Well. Yeah- I told you about Refuge. Turns out I won't potentially kill people with what I make." He flipped around with plates in hand and moved to sit on the other side of the couch Kravitz sat on, handing him the food and sitting with his feet curled up on the couch and plate resting slightly on his knees. "So I'm making stuff again." he stuffed a bite in his own mouth, "Tastes pretty good, right?"

Kravitz hesitates, mostly because eating isn't a usual activity for him, but he carefully picks out a piece and eats it, before he nods with a pleased noise. "That's... Not bad, yeah." Taako nods triumphantly and continues to munch on his food, mouth too full to talk to Kravitz most of the time spent there.  
About halfway through some kind of timer dings and Taako is up in a second, setting his plate on the counter while he opened the oven and slid out a pan with a perfectly cooked apple pie, the elf looking pleased with his creation. He was quick and coordinated with his movements- set it on the counter, put up his oven mitts, turn off the oven, and take another bite from his plate.

Staying silent, Kravitz picked at his food till Taako deemed the pie cool enough to cut and inquired, "Got room for anymore?" and set up a clean plate with a hot slice placed carefully atop it. He places a second when Kravitz hums a noise of affirmation. A quick few seconds to clean up and place their dirty dishes in the sink before Taako sat very close to Kravitz, offering him a spoon while he turned to face Taako. 

Taako was back to babbling on about food while he ate, flipping his spoon around while he spoke and only stopping to shove another bite in his mouth. The elf stops at some point when he spots something on Kravitz' face, something that makes him stop too, before Taako uses his spoon to swipe a stray piece of crust off of Kravitz' mouth and pop it into his own. With no hesitation, he returns to finishing off his piece, leaving Kravitz slightly stunned. He  _could_ avoid the situation, but having Taako sit so close to him and just talk is... Comforting. He lets him finish his train of thought before he opens his mouth to speak. 

"Taako. I can't be here too long. Why'd you ask me to visit?" He asks, stopping Taako mid-bite of his pie. He shrugs, though, setting his spoon on the plate. "Just... Hanging out, my man. The others are busy and I wanted to make dinner, so I figured if you were free..." He shrugs again. then moves to stand, seeing that Kravitz has stopped eating at least a minute or two ago while Taako was talking. "Thought you might enjoy some food, you know? I don't assume you have a lot of people asking you to sit down for a meal. Am I right?" He asks with a smirk, setting the plate also in the basin before he moves to sit beside him again.   
Kravitz hums, chewing on his lip for a moment, before he glances to Taako, "I've got bounties to attend to. Are you okay... here?" And Taako laughs, nodding, "I don't take things as hard as I think you're thinking, my dude. Have you seen this place? Always something to do, so I think I can make it by myself for a few hours."

Kravitz nods with a slight smile as he stands, reaching to hold Taako's hand with icy fingers and lean to eye level with him, "Stay safe, Taako." He reminds him, kissing the back of his hand before stepping back into the rift that connects him to the Astral plane, and leaving Taako dumbstruck on his couch. 


End file.
